Chandelier Couture

By Kate Novack

Swarovski shed its image as the source for animal miniatures by teaming with trendy fashion designers like Alexander McQueen on the runway. Now the century-old crystal company wants to revamp lighting. "The chandelier is this luxurious, celebratory lighting fixture," says Nadja Swarovski, 34, who runs communications for the firm. "We challenged designers to reinvent it for today." Twenty- seven of them accepted the dare, and this month seven of the collection's 17 pieces--including Yves Behar's Nest, above, a glowing cyclone suspended by strands of crystal, and Matali Crasset's Plexiglas Sky--were displayed at the Art Basel fair in Miami. All the fixtures are for sale through Swarovski. Karl Lagerfeld already bought one, though at $7,000 and up, the prices cast their own shadow. --By Kate Novack